


Oh, I Do Like to be Beside the Sea

by quietpastelcolours



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, As well, Canon Divergence, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Junkrat is an exiled Junker, Selkie AU, and Symmetra is a Selkie, hmm, i guess this is a little bit of a Soulmate AU as well, in that Overwatch is Not A Thing, oh there's some, what else
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-26
Updated: 2019-02-26
Packaged: 2019-11-05 23:34:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17928485
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/quietpastelcolours/pseuds/quietpastelcolours
Summary: Jamison Fawkes, a Junker in exile on the Australian coast, is down on the beach when he sees something in the water....





	Oh, I Do Like to be Beside the Sea

The ocean was cold, and grey, and empty, just like it always was. Junkrat paused for a moment, leaning against the edge of his boat, before he returned to what he’d been doing; picking today’s catch out of his nets so he could take them to his home for drying.

Life as an outcast from Junker society was difficult; when no other Junker would associate with you, and you weren’t able to integrate into the rest of Australian society either, your options were slim. Like others before him, Junkrat had retreated to whatever patch of land unhampered by civilisation he could find to eke out what living he could. He’d tried the interior, but the outback was far too radioactive to survive without access to medical treatment, and so like most other outcasts, he’d retreated to the coast.

This bare little patch of coast in one of the remotest parts of Australia was home to a tiny collection of ramshackle huts placed careful distances away from each other, as so not to encroach on each other’s territory. Junkrat was conversational with a handful of the other outcasts, and had never spoken to a few more. One more outcast had arrived only a few weeks earlier; Junkrat had run into him as the new outcast was out cutting what shitty coastal timber he could find to make his home, and had exchanged a few words, though the man who called himself Roadhog had proved to be a man of very few words.

Since then, Junkrat had not spoken to another human in weeks, though the driver was coming in a fortnight to collect the fish Junkrat had caught; they might be outcasts, but the Queen was never above taking advantage of an opportunity. In return for the equipment necessary to create refrigeration, and supplies traded for the fish, the outcasts who’d chosen to settle on the coast kept Junkertown supplied with plenty of fresh seafood, that would have been otherwise unavailable to in the arid zone.

Still, it was a boring, dreary life, and if the queen didn’t ensure he got a good amount of explosives as part of his ‘supplies’, and that provided him with enough incentive not to run off and get himself killed trying to get back into Junkertown. Junkrat gritted his teeth as he detangled a fish from the net and it tore, leaving him swearing at the rent which he would now have to repair. Groaning under the heavy burden of his barrels of fish, he loaded them into the back of his transport, which he called his ‘bike’ but looked like a hybrid of a motorbike, a small ute, and a snowmobile, which he’d rigged up to be able to easily to able to traverse the dunes without getting stuck. Having loaded his ripped net as well as the fish barrels, he turned on his bike and set off, coasting down the dunes and making the engine splutter in protest when roaring up them, and he’d soon travelled away from the sandier beach where his boat was moored, and was passing the rocky outcrops between his hut and the beach, when he spied an almighty struggle out of the corner of his eye.

Junkrat released the throttle, coasting to a gentle stop beside a gently waving clump of grass, his attention on the thrashing moil occurring beneath the waves perhaps some two hundred metres out to sea. For a moment he was confused and wary, and then a sharp grey fin crested the waves and he relaxed. It was only a shark. He’d seen a group of seals about earlier that day; it was probably hunting those, and if it wasn’t, it was after his fish, which made Junkrat more inclined to think badly of the creature. He watched the vicious thrashing for a minute or two, for the waves were red-tinged and foamy; clearly, whatever the shark was hunting had been injured.

He felt a bit sorry for whatever the shark had; from the size of the little of it that he’d seen, it wasn’t a small shark, and it couldn’t be pleasant to have that huge, razor filled maw clamp down upon your body. He blinked for a moment, attention caught by a shape that seemed to have broken away from the main fight, and – had the shark’s prey escaped? It looked like it; he could see a large dark shape skimming beneath the shallow waves, heading for the safety of the shore, he supposed. Junkrat wondered if it was a dolphin; if so, beaching itself was only going to lead to a different kind of death. The shark was clearly in pursuit, blunted nose arcing through the bloodied water, and Junkrat idly put a tenner on the shark; the race was going to be very close.

The seal – for that was what it was – made it, to Junkrat’s surprise. It hit the shallows and struggled up over the sand, while the shark banked sharply to the left to avoid beaching itself and began to circle, clearly waiting to see if its meal would helpfully deliver itself back into the water. Blood flowed from the injured seal and Junkrat reached for his rifle with a sigh and headed down the beach; clearly, the seal wasn’t going to make it, and it was better to put the poor bastard out of its misery.

He was raising the rifle to his shoulder when it happened.

The seal sort of flopped over, ruining what would have been a clear shot between the eyes, and Junkrat muttered under his breath and reached down to roll the seal back over, not wanting to miss and cause the poor bloody thing the pain of multiple gunshot wounds. As he gripped the seal, however, its skin came off in his hand.

Junkrat blinked stupidly at his handful of thick, silky dark fur and looked back at the seal, only to drop both fur and rifle and jump back with a yell, losing his footing in the sand and falling over backwards. He popped up onto his knees, eyes bugging out of his head at the sight of the unconscious woman who lay where the seal had just been lying.

“Oh, Jesus, what the  _ fuck?” _ Junkrat stared, unaccustomed to having naked bleeding women just poof into existence where seals had once been, and cautiously reached out to touch her; having proven her to be real and solid beneath his fingertips, it somewhat immediately became apparent that if he fucked about for too much longer, she might just bleed to death in front of him.  _ “Fuck, _ fuck fuck fuck fuck-” Junkrat ripped off his shirt and tore it into strips, using it to bind the deep wound at her side. It encompassed the woman’s entire right hip and some thigh, but fortunately, the shark had not managed to take a chunk of flesh with it. The twin rings of punctures were vicious and deep, however, and bled copiously, along with another wound at her shoulder - he barely noticed that her other arm was not flesh, but coral - he ignored that in favour of stopping the bleeding. She seemed to have fainted more from shock than from injury, and Junkrat clung to this cautious hope as he used the seal fur to pad the wound at her hip and prevent more bleeding (he hoped). There was nothing at hand to bind her shoulder, but once he had her across his lap on his bike, he drove with one hand, and used the other to apply pressure to the bite.

His hut was not far away, but in the short time it had taken to get there, the seal-woman was coming around; her eyelids fluttered and she murmured nonsense - she didn’t seem lucid. Junkrat skidded to a stop before his front door and kicked it open with the woman in his arms, and lay her on his bed.

It took him two hours before he was comfortable enough to leave the woman’s side; she was awake now, in pain, and not exactly talkative. He wasn’t sure if she  _ could _ talk – what was the criteria for sea-women, anyway?

As the bite over her hip encompassed both the front and back of her body, he’d used a thick wedge of blankets to prop her up on her side, so she wouldn’t have to lie on her wound. It had been uncomfortable for both of them while he was trying to help her – she’d been groggy but defensive, and it had hurt – some of her wounds needed stitching, he could tell that much, but he was in no way able to stitch a wound. Fortunately for him, some of the supplies he’d gotten from Junkertown at different points in the past included medical kits – and in one of them, after rifling desperately through everything he could find, he’d found medical superglue. It was far better than nothing, and meant that he didn’t have to try to clumsily stitch the woman, or leave her wounds open, and though his first few attempts had been messy and uneven, he’d succeeded in closing all of the jagged bite marks in her flesh.

The seal-woman had obviously been under the impression that he was going to hurt her, but had subsided into suspicious silence as she watched him patch up her wounds. She was now tucked up in his bed, the sheets covering up the nudity he’d ignored while treating her, and he was now making something for her to eat. Junkrat had a vague idea that sweet tea was good for shock, and so he’d boiled the kettle and made her a steaming hot cuppa with plenty of sugar mixed in.

Sneaking a glance at the woman, he realised she was holding the cup but wasn’t drinking – she was staring at it with a perplexed expression, pointed fingers made from seashells clicking softly against the cup.

“Hey, y’doin’ alroight?” he asked without thinking, and she met his gaze with liquid gold eyes. They were amazing, those eyes – they made him feel as though he were drowning in them. Then, it occurred to him that maybe she couldn’t understand him. “Uh, do ya speak? Can y’speak English?”

There was a slight pause, but the woman nodded.

“Roight, that’s good,” he said, surprised that she did. “Uh, somethin’ wrong with the tea?”

She looked down at the cup. “It’s hot,” she said, sounding faintly surprised. Her voice was accented oddly – it wasn’t quite anything he’d heard before. Well, considering the fact that she was a seal, perhaps that shouldn’t be a surprise.

“Well, yeah,” he said slowly, then realised that maybe she was an ocean creature – maybe she’d never actually had anything hot before. “Y’never had tea before? Try it. It’s good.”

She raised the cup and took a cautious sip. “Oh.” Surprise was written on her features. “It  _ is _ good.”

Junkrat grinned slightly, then moved to sit on the edge of his table. “M’name’s Junkrat.”

“Satya,” she replied. There seemed to be a faintly despondent look on her face as she looked around his little beach hut.

“Satya, huh? Pretty. So, uh, are you a woman who turns into a seal, or a seal who turns into a woman?”

The corners of her mouth lifted. “I am both. I am a woman, and I am a seal. Have you never heard of selkies?”

“Oh.” In fact, he had not. “Er, what’s a selkie?”

Disbelief fought with amusement in her luminous eyes. “I am one, though if you choose to think of me as a woman or a seal, it doesn’t matter, I suppose. Ah… this tea? What is it made of?”

“Tea leaves.” 

It was an unsatisfactory answer, apparently, for Satya shifted slightly with a frown on her face, evidently trying to become comfortable, and the sheet slipped down to reveal most of her tits. Junkrat jerked his gaze away but found himself returning with something close to fascination; she didn’t seem even remotely ashamed, or even conscious of the fact that being naked in front of a total stranger was a less than desirable proposition. His gaze focused on one taut nipple, a dark peak against the smooth deep brown of her skin; she was gorgeous, for a seal-woman, an absolute stunner. Long smooth legs, fantastic hips (where they weren’t shark-bitten and bleeding), and the most amazing tits… he lost his train of thought for a moment, his attention entirely on the sweet curve of her breast from where it was exposed by the fallen sheet, and then he realised what he was doing, and heat rushed to his face.  _ What the fuck are y’doin’, y’dumb fuck! _ he yelled internally.  _ She’s hurt an’ all y’can do is stare at her titties, y’pervy bastard! _

“They  _ are _ pretty great ti-” Junkrat froze, mouth hanging open as he realised he’d answered his internal question aloud. “Teabags!” he nearly shouted in an attempt to recover himself. “They’re great teabags, dontcha think? Got ‘em from Junkertown.”

Satya gave him a very strange look. “Ah… yes. I suppose they are.” Curiosity appeared on her features. “But what is this ‘Junkertown’?”

Junkrat rubbed the back of his neck, turning away from her to hide his acute embarrassment. “Er, it’s a town. Used t’live there.”

“A town? On land? Tell me what it is like,” she demanded, face alight with curiosity. “I imagine it can’t be very similar to where I live.”

“Where  _ do _ ya live?” Junkrat asked, intrigued.

“In a cave, in a coral reef,” Satya said almost dreamily. “There is a kelp forest nearby, and when I hide amongst the kelp early in the morning, I see the sunlight come down and illuminate the fish until they look like tiny sparks of rainbows flying overhead. It is beautiful.”

“Sounds real gorgeous,” Junkrat murmured, enchanted by this image. Junkertown seemed far worse than usual in comparison.

“And Junkertown?” she asked. “Is this it? Am I in a human town?”

The thought made him laugh. “Here? Fuck no. Junkertown’s way off, in the middle of the desert. It’s uh, rough.”

“Oh, I see.” Satya looked thoughtful. “Then what is this place?”

Junkrat looked away, frowning. “It’s where outcasts go.” There was a deep silence, and he changed the subject. “So what’s with the arm?”

Satya arched a brow. 

“The  _ arm,” _ he elaborated. “It’s made outta fuckin’ seashells. How’s that even  _ possible?” _

She smiled slowly. “You have a just seen a seal turn into a woman, and yet you cannot believe that magic can replace an arm that has been lost?”

Junkrat blinked. “Fair enough.”

Satya shifted slightly then, trying to become comfortable. She evidently moved too much, for she froze and gasped, the colour in her face instantly receding as she dropped the tea cup, spilling the hot drink over her blankets.

Junkrat was up on his feet in an instant to rescue the cup and hover anxiously as Satya breathed strongly though her nose, eyes tightly closed and her seashell hand pressed lightly to the wound at her shoulder. She drew her hand away to reveal blood pressed to coral fingerprints, and she looked up at him, pain written on her features.

“Give us a look, ay?” Junkrat reached gingerly for her, and Satya took her hand away to let him touch her shoulder carefully at one toothmark where he hadn’t used enough glue, and the sealed wound had come apart with her movement. Junkrat seized the tube of glue and proceeded to reseal the wound, apologising when she hissed painfully through her teeth.

“Sorry, sorry!”

“Why apologise?” she asked through gritted teeth. “You have not harmed me purposefully.”

“No, but it still hurts whether I mean to or not.” Junkrat put down the tube and examined his handiwork. “There. Reckon that’s better. Keep still for a bit though, ay? ‘Til the glue’s dried.”

Satya nodded and Junkrat headed across to the table, where his medical kit lay strewn across the worn timber, and rifled through it in search of a suitable painkiller. He came across one in liquid form, and having poured out a generous dose, offered her the little glass. Satya regarded it suspiciously.

“What is it?”

“Medicine,” he told her. “Make y’feel a bit better.”

Satya sipped the glass slowly, making a face every time the substance touched her tongue. It was the drowsy type, and she sank into the pillows not long after, eyes half-closed as the painkiller took effect, and was asleep before half an hour had elapsed.

Junkrat pottered about with the fish he’d neglected in the wake of finding Satya, keeping an eye on her as he went (he was rather sceptical of his medical abilities), but ended up packing all of the fish away into his fridges without any emergencies. He went inside, checked that Satya was still sleeping, then, with some hesitation, went outside to fetch the seal skin.

He picked it up gingerly, half-expecting something to happen when he touched it, but nothing did. It was a miserable, bedraggled looking thing, salt-encrusted and sopping with blood – a far cry from the usual sleek beauty of seal fur. With a glance in his window to ensure the seal-woman was still a sleeping mound beneath her blankets, he went around to the back of his hut, where he kept a rainwater tank. Filling his washing tub with water and soap flakes, he soaked the seal skin, washing the blood away before it dried into the fur and became difficult to remove. As the water stained red with his scrubbing, Junkrat beheld the gradual reveal of smooth, rich brown fur with pleasure – seal skins were beautiful, and Satya’s was no exception. Once it was clean and wrung out, Junkrat pegged it up on his clothesline and woke the seal-woman around dinner time, for he had a vague recollection that avoiding dehydration was important in injured people, and had a groggy Satya drink a tall glass of honey-sweetened water, before she curled up and fell asleep again.

Junkrat took his spare winter blankets from storage in a pine chest and made a bed for himself on his packed-dirt floor, and after a last worried look at her wounds, went to sleep himself, wondering what the morning would bring.

 

* * *

The morning came bright and early, and Junkrat lay there for a few minutes, groggily confused as to why his bed felt so hard and why his back hurt and his body felt stiff. The sunlight was beaming directly into his eyeballs with the force of a howitzer shell, and he mumbled irritably and rolled over, eyes screwed up against this invading presence. His hand, as he rolled over, slapped the hard floor and Junkrat felt the dirt under his fingers for a few moments before he could register why this was strange.

A moment later, his eyes popped open with the realisation that he was asleep on the floor, and shot upright, only to have his head collide with the edge of the table. Junkrat clutched at his skull as pain throbbed through his temple and swore harshly, toes curled, until the pain began to recede. Wiping his watering eyes, he looked up to find a pair of bright golden eyes peering at him from a nest of blankets on his bed.

Junkrat grinned at her, lowering his hand from his throbbing skull. “G’mornin’.”

A tiny smile greeted him in return, and Junkrat pushed himself to his knees.

“How’s things? Hurtin’ much? I can getcha more painkiller.”

Satya’s expression turned pained. “It hurts,” she whispered. “My whole body is aching.”

“Yeah? Fuck, doesn’t sound too good. Wanna give us a look?” Junkrat approached her bedside and frowned down at the bite marks on her shoulder, which she exposed by tugging the blankets back from her face. The bites were angry-looking red slashes in her skin, but the glue had held all night and the flesh surrounding the wounds wasn’t red or swollen, which in Junkrat’s limited medical experience, told him that the wounds weren’t infected, which was good.

He carefully swabbed the area with Dettol anyway, not wanting to risk anything. “All roight,” he said, rocking back on his heels and avoiding her gaze, “next lot.”

Satya nodded and pushed the blankets back, revealing her bare lower half. Junkrat tried to keep his eyes in a respectable location, but failed; in looking at the bite on her hip, he had no choice but to notice the thatch of black curls between her legs, and she seemed so unselfconscious about her nakedness that it made him feel even more embarrassed about being flustered by the sight of her. The bites encompassing her hip were worrying, however – the flesh there was swollen and inflamed, and when he gently palpated the area Satya drew in her breath with a pained gasp, knuckles clenched tight against her grip on the blankets.

“Roight, well… I dunno what to do, exactly, but I’m gonna wash this out with Dettol and uh…give y’more painkiller. Hopefully that’ll do somethin’.”

“I don’t suppose you have any-” Satya bit her lip and furrowed her brow. “-I don’t know what to call it in your language.”

“What is it?” Junkrat inquired, looking up from his careful Dettol swabbing.

Satya said something entirely incomprehensible, and he blinked.

“What?”

She said it again, then sighed. “It is a plant that grows on the ocean floor. If you chew it and pack it into wounds, it makes a very good healing salve. We sea folk often use it for shark bite.”

“Oh, roight, well, got none of that, sadly.” Junkrat squinted at the Dettol label, reading the instructions carefully. “Hafta make do with this, I’m afraid.” With the bites thoroughly disinfected, Junkrat then went to rifle through his medicine box and found the strongest tablets he possessed that promised to kill off infection. He took two from the box and brought them to her along with a glass of water, where she looked at the oval tablet with confusion.

“What are they?” Satya poked them curiously, and raised her luminous eyes to his.

“Tablets. Here, they’ll get rid of y’infection. Y’gotta swallow ‘em with water.”

“You humans have some interesting methods,” Satya remarked, but took the tablets, making a face when she had some difficulty timing her swallow on the first one. 

“Um.” She looked at him and then away, plucking the blankets anxiously. “How do humans…”

“How do humans what?” he prompted, when no explanation was forthcoming.

“Ah… I must… relieve myself,” she said softly, heat high in her face. “I don’t know how humans… do that.”

“Roight.” Junkrat said huskily. “Uh, I got a dunny – can y’stand, d’ya reckon? Or – wait, d’ya mean y’literally don’t know how humans piss, or-”

“No!” Satya glared at him. “I  _ meant _ , I don’t know where, exactly, a human –  _ does _ that sort of thing. I assume you don’t just go where you stand-”

“No, we don’t.” Junkrat said hurriedly, relieved that he didn’t have to explain the mechanics of human urination to her. “Like I said, I got a dunny.”

“A – dunny? I don’t know this word.”

“A toilet.” Junkrat supplied. “It’s a thing y’piss in. Look, y’reckon y’can stand? If so, I’ll show y’how to use one, if not, I’ll… bring you a bucket.”

Embarrassment flamed on her features, but she nodded with a steely glance in her eye. “I can stand, if you will help me…?”

“‘Course.” Junkrat moved towards her as she peeled back the blanket, revealing her body, and made a mental note to find her something to wear  _ very _ soon. His hut was a simple creation, three rooms and a veranda, one room being his bathroom, in which he boasted a shitty iron tub for which he had bargained with the Queen over fish, and had received, much to his delight. The bathroom wasn’t their destination, however - he led her outside, past the chookpen to his outhouse. Satya leaned on his arm and staggered slowly as he led her towards the door, and when they were through the doorway, she stared at the toilet with sheer puzzlement on her brow, and little wonder - it was a crude construction of a pit with a drainage system leading away from his hut that he’d spent weeks on, and a small rainwater tank to the side, so he could turn the gate-valve and have a very rudimentary flush toilet.

“What…?”

“Roight, this is the dunny. Y’sit on it. Do whatever y’have t’do, then when y’done an’ y’about t’leave, turn this tap a bit. It’ll flush everythin’ away. Give us a yell if y’need help getting back t’bed, yeah?”

Satya nodded and took a staggering step forward, and Junkrat swiftly vacated the premises as she leaned on the wall with her good hand for support. With the bathroom occupied, he went hunting through his clothes cupboard, looking for something for her to wear. Pants were out of the question – they’d put pressure on her hip and hurt. The bite on her shoulder presented a similar problem, and Junkrat puzzled over several shirts before he settled on a singlet with thin, soft straps.

When Satya emerged from the bathroom, leaning heavily on the doorjamb for support, he presented her with the singlet, which she took with a puzzled gaze.

“What is this for?”

“Uh. For you to… wear?” Junkrat had never encountered anyone who didn’t know what a singlet was for, and he stared at her face, confused.

“Wear? Why?”

“Um.” Junkrat rubbed the back of his neck, ears hot. “Look, people don’t – er, human people, I mean – people don’t usually get about with no kit on.”

Satya ran an interested gaze down his body, and it sent a thrill down his spine. “I had noticed. Is there a reason?” 

“Er, yeah?” he groped about for something simple. “Uh…. sunburn! The sun’s bloody hot. Gotta protect y’skin.” He was entirely relieved when she nodded seriously. “So uh, you’ll put it on?”

“Yes.” Satya tipped her head to the side as she shook out the soft red cotton. “Um. How?”

Junkrat snatched the fabric back and found the hem, and helped her put it on (her stiff, sore shoulder was not conductive to manoeuvring clothing), and then stepped back as the hem fell down to her knees. Satya smiled at him and it was like something heavy had hit him in the back of knees; she was a beautiful woman, but seeing her in his shirt, with nothing on underneath… well, he’d been without intimacy for years, and the sight of her struck something in him.

“Ah… back t’bed with you, I reckon,” he said gruffly, and took her uninjured arm to help her back into bed. Once she was in bed and safely covered, he set about sorting breakfast. He beat the eggs for the fritters with savage efficiency, and added shredded fish in preparation of frying. He was conscious all the while of Satya’s interested gaze on him, and looked up after the first lot of fritters had gone into the sizzling skillet with a raised brow.

“Need somethin’?”

“What are you making? I’ve seen humans cook before on the beaches, but not so closely.”

“I’m makin’ fritters,” Junkrat explained, and at her expression, grinned and elaborated. “Fish, mixed up with flour an’ egg an’ water, all fried up. Nice an’ tasty.”

“I wonder. I’ve never eaten  _ cooked _ food, you know.”

Junkrat had never considered this knotty subject of underwater cookery. “Oh yeah? What do y’eat?”

“Fish,” she said immediately, with obvious relish. “Raw.”

“Blegh.” Junkrat pulled an exaggerated face, which made her laugh, and then grinned as he turned back to the fritters. When they were done, he presented the platter to her with a bizarre mix of shyness and pride, which exploded into pleasure when she took a cautious bite of the hot fritter and her glorious eyes opened wide with a delighted, “mmm!”

“And so this is how it will be, then?” Satya asked sometime later, when the pair of them had put a fair dent in the platter of fritters.

“Mm? What will?” Junkrat replied rather absently, occupied in demolishing his ninth fritter.

“This. I suppose you will expect to share this bed soon.”

That… had not been what he was expecting, and Junkrat stared. “What? No, no, I’m… happy, on the floor. Y’need rest, that’s why you’re in the bed.”

Something flashed through her eyes. “I don’t mean that.”

Junkrat stared at her, brows drawn together. “Then what…? Look, y’got the bed until y’well enough to leave. Y’don’t have t’worry about bein’ turfed.”

Open astonishment flashed across her face. “ _ What? _ You – what? When I  _ leave?” _

Something was going on here. “Uh. Yeah.” Junkrat said cautiously, leaning back a bit from his perch on a chair beside the bed. “What, didja think y’think y’were stayin’ here forever?”

He had been joking, which made it all the more bewildering when the expression on her face clearly suggested that… she was not.

“Uh.” Junkrat said slowly, putting the platter of fritters down. “Did… did you think y’weren’t gonna go home?”

Confusion mingled with hope on her features. “But – you mean you will  _ let _ me?”

_ “Let _ you – Christ, this isn’t a bloody kidnapping.” Junkrat stared at her in shock. “Why in hell wouldn’t I let you leave?”

Satya sat up more, pain blossoming over her face. “But – you have taken my skin.”

Junkrat stared, utterly nonplussed. “Your  _ skin? _ What the fuck –  _ oh _ . The skin. Your skin. Roight.” He jerked his metal thumb over his shoulder. “It’s out back. Hangin’ up t’dry after I washed it. Y’can have it back whenever.”

Satya stared at him, her expression amazed. “I can… have it back?”

“Why  _ wouldn’t _ you?” he snapped, angered by the implications.

Plucking at her sheet nervously, Satya blinked rapidly. “I… don’t you know what selkies  _ are?” _

“Seal-women,” he said promptly, and then eyed the sheer amazement on her face. “What, am I missin’ somethin’?”

“Yes.” Satya said, after a slight pause. “There is… a rule. When my skin belongs to me, I am free. When it belongs to someone else… I am not.” She frowned. “It used to be… common. Human men liked to take a seal-wife, for they were supposed to be good mothers.”

Junkrat couldn’t find his tongue for a minute. “Are you sayin’-” he began, eyes boggling as he enunciated slowly, “you thought I was gonna keep you here, as my  _ wife?” _

Satya looked deeply uncertain. “I – you took my skin.”

Junkrat couldn’t find the words. Instead, he lurched to his feet and crashed through his back door to find the sealskin – it was where he’d left it, spread over his clothesline to dry in the sun. Junkrat seized the wire of the clothesline and yanked it lower before he snatched the skin down, scattering pegs which he abandoned to pick up later. He marched back inside to see Satya’s face positively light up when she saw what he was carrying, and then when he twirled the skin out through the air and draped it overtop her and her sheets, she touched the sleek brown fur as though she wasn’t quite sure it was real, and then looked up at him, and the gratitude in her eyes felt like she’d punched a hole clean through his chest.

“There,” he said quietly. “y’see? It’s your skin. I ain’t takin’ it.”

“Thank you,” Satya whispered, drawing the skin close to her and closing her eyes. “You’ve been kind to me, Junkrat.”

“Jamison,” he said on sudden impulse, then stiffened. He never gave people his real name – but then again, she wasn’t exactly most people.

“What?” Satya opened her eyes half-way, her expression contented enough that it ached behind his breastbone.

“Jamison,” he continued stiffly. “That’s my real name. Junkrat is… well, it’s what people call me, but it ain’t my name.”

“Jamison.” Satya breathed, and when the corner of her lips lifted into a slight smile he felt weak in the knees and sat down abruptly, with a creak of the metal hinge of his peg leg. 

“Why do people call you Junkrat?” she asked curiously, and he shrugged.

“Ah, y’know. Made a name for m’self doin’… some shit. Dunno.” Junkrat scratched his cheek awkwardly. “Uh, so, how y’feelin’?”

Satya looked down at her shoulder. “Sore.” She smiled slightly. “Though I think that is to be expected.”

“Reckon so,” he agreed.

 

* * *

A fortnight passed and Satya healed slowly; Junkrat was pleased to find that after a while, the swelling that had been worrying him around the bites on her hip had begun to go down, which he attributed to the medicines he’d been dosing her with at regular intervals. After the first few days he had satisfied himself that she wasn’t about to unexpectedly die on him, and had returned to the sea – he had to earn a living, after all, and he wasn’t going to fill his fridges in time for the Junkertown delivery by spending all day entranced by a beautiful seal-woman.

The fact that Satya had to remain at his hut as she couldn’t walk properly yet made her sad, and so he’d rearranged all the furniture in his hut, and put his bed directly beneath a window so she could look out and see the ocean while resting, and he would come home to find her gazing at the distant blue glimmer with such forlorn longing on her face it was enough to break his heart.

When he returned with his latest catch, he found something different; Satya was not inside,  but was in fact outside, sitting in the sand surrounded by chickens and thoroughly enjoying herself. Junkrat’s chickens were essentially all the company he had, and so they were very tame and liked to make themselves comfortable in his hut while he talked to them, but while Satya had been recovering, he’d kept them in their coop. Junkrat grinned at the sight of Satya, smiling delightedly as two chickens nestled cosily in her lap and the rest milled around her, investigating this strange new person who’d invaded their territory.

“Let the chooks out, didja?” he called, killing the engine and getting off his bike.

“I wanted to meet them,” Satya explained, stroking her hands along the back of a gingery coloured chicken, who looked most impressed at this treatment. “We have nothing like these delightful creatures under the sea. They’re most friendly!”

“They are,” Junkrat agreed, lifting a barrel of fish down from his trailer. “They’re hungry, too. Can help me feed ‘em if you like.”

Satya’s face lit up and she removed the chickens from her lap and stood up slowly. She was still wearing her usual fare; an assortment of his singlets, with nothing underneath, and it was slowly driving him nuts.

“What do they eat?” she asked him curiously, and Junkrat headed over to the coop, where a small storage compartment on the side held bags of chook feed.

“This is their feed,” he showed her the scoop and how to measure out the correct amount. “see that trough there? Pour it in an’ see ‘em go nuts for it.”

Satya took a step toward the feeding trough and Junkrat grinned as the chickens cottoned on and promptly swarmed her. Satya laughed to herself as she took wobbling steps to avoid the chickens and dumped the feed into the trough, which rapidly disappeared beneath a mass of feathery, excited bodies.

“Roight, let’s see if there’s any eggs t’be had.” Junkrat closed up the storage compartment and bolted it firmly, then showed Satya how to get into the coop and check the nests for eggs.

Once back in his hut, Junkrat showed Satya where he kept his eggs, a smile on his face in the obvious joy she took in learning about the simplest human things. He’d never really found much joy in his daily jobs, but having Satya there to goggle at a bread box put things into a rather different perspective.

“Humans have so many options,” she marvelled. “It’s not fair – I have fish but you can  _ cook _ – what is this?”

“That’s strawberry jam,” Junkrat told her, slicing a piece of bread for her. “Try some.”

“Mm.” Satya closed her eyes in bliss as she took a bite – she was fond of most of the human foods she’d tried, though she hated peanut butter, tinned tomatoes, and corned beef. All of his food was tinned or otherwise non-perishable and came from Junkertown – unless it was fish or eggs, which considering the luxuriousness of eating them fresh, made the repetitiveness bearable.

Satya wanted to learn to cook, and so he’d taken to teaching her as she grew strong enough to stand for longer periods of time. He wasn’t a good cook by any means, but his meals were edible and Satya liked the novelty of eating human food, and so the delight in her eyes when he showed her how to whisk eggs or toast bread made him feel like her company was something he could really get used to – which made the knowledge that at some point, she would return to the sea, all the more heartbreaking.

“Can I come to the beach with you tomorrow?”

Junkrat’s head snapped round to look at her. “Y’mean, t’leave?” he asked cautiously, and Satya grimaced and put a hand to her hip, over her bite.

“I don’t think I could handle swimming just yet. I just want to feel the ocean again. I’ve never spent this long on land.”

“Sensible,” Junkrat said, referring to her first statement. “Lots of nasty things in the sea y’wouldn’t wanna run into while feelin’ knocked about.”

“Yes, there are.” Satya agreed. “I’m sure that shark would want to finish what it started.”

“Reckon.” Junkrat squinted out the window at the moon, high and full in the sky, and moved to dump their plates in what he called a sink but was really a metal tub on timber blocks with a tap he’d run in from the rain tank outside. It was a pain in the arse to empty when full, but at least he  _ had _ a sink. Some of the other outcasts didn’t. “Ready for bed? If y’comin’ with me tomorrow, y’should get some rest.”

“I think so.” Satya moved towards the bed and Junkrat put the lights out before feeling his way to his pallet on the floor. He was conscious of Satya watching him as he set about removing his peg leg, her face illuminated by the moonlight.

“Did it happen on land?” she asked finally, as Junkrat had laid his leg to the side and was occupied in unfastening his prosthetic arm.

“What, m’arm an’ m’leg? Yeah. Way inland. Junkertown, or thereabouts.”

Satya was quiet for a moment. “Was it an accident?”

Junkrat breathed heavily out of his nose for a moment. “Leg was. Arm wasn’t.” He could tell Satya was curious, so he elaborated. “Talked shit t’the wrong bloke one too many times an’ got m’arm shattered for it. It didn’t heal roight. Didn’t heal at all, actually. Had t’take it off before it killed me.”

“Oh,” she breathed. “That’s  _ terrible _ . And this was at Junkertown? How could your home be such a cruel place?”

Junkrat laughed. “Fuck, cruel is a kind way t’describe good ol’ Junkertown. She’s one of a kind.”

Satya’s brows furrowed and she pillowed her chin on her arm. “I do not think I would like to go there.”

“Too roight,” Junkrat snapped, nettled by the thought of Satya and all her softness let loose in Junkertown; she’d become a soulless wreck there - nothing of the woman she was would remain. He took off his arm and laid it by his leg, frowning as he imagined the Queen getting her claws on Satya – it wouldn’t end well.

“Why don’t you sleep here?”

Junkrat raised his gaze to hers, startled. “What?”

Satya’s gaze flickered down his chest. “The floor is uncomfortable, surely.”

“Well, yeah-”

“-and I’ve taken your bed from you-”

“-yeah, but you’re-”

“-so come and join me.”

Junkrat opened his mouth, but nothing came out. Of course, his traitorous body was all for it, but common sense told him sleeping in bed with her was not exactly the smartest idea.

The corners of her lips rose at his hesitance, and Satya motioned at him to join her. “Why not?” She asked. “Surely you’re tired of sleeping on the hard floor.”

“Well, yeah, but-” Junkrat began, but she cut him off.

“But what? I hope you’re not worried for my  _ modesty _ .” Satya arched a brow at him. “There’s better things to worry about, yes?”

Junkrat was entirely unable to formulate a response to this startling statement, and instead gaped at her like a demented salmon. “But – Satya-”

“But Satya what?” Satya moved over towards the window and patted the bare space beside her. “Don’t you want to be comfortable?”

He narrowed his eyes considering. “Why?”

“I’ve told you why.” Satya patted the mattress again. “Come.”

There was challenge in her eyes, a sort of mischievous glimmer, and once he realised that, Junkrat found himself rising to meet the challenge, to see if he couldn’t come out on top of – whatever this was. He rose up, waiting at every moment to see if she would tell him she was joking, and then all of a sudden he was sitting down upon the mattress and Satya was pulling back the sheet to allow him in, and then he was lying there, two heads on a shared pillow, Satya’s face mere inches from his. He could feel the heat of her body from her proximity and had stern words with himself with regards to appropriate behaviour, and then she smiled.

“There. Aren’t you more comfortable now?”

“That’s debatable,” Junkrat muttered, thinking of his physical reaction to her.

Satya seemed to be finding something funny; her glorious golden eyes crinkled at the corners as she smothered her laughter with the sheet.

“What?” He demanded, and her shoulders shook with the effort of staying quiet.

“You look so funny! Like a fretful little urchin.”

“An  _ urchin?” _ Junkrat inquired, momentarily distracted. “Why an urchin?”

Satya nodded upwards. “Your hair. It is practically standing on end.” She smiled once more. “I hope you can forgive me for finding it unusual. In the ocean, hair tends not to do that.”

“I guess it wouldn’t,” he agreed, trying to find a comfortable spot on the mattress that didn’t involve either touching Satya, or falling off the bed altogether.

“Have you enough room?” she inquired, and reached out towards him. Her warm touch skimming over his forearm was enough to send shivers down his spine and Junkrat captured her wrist in his grip, placing it on the mattress between them, before she could do anymore damage with those enticing fingers. Satya made it worse – dismayed, Junkrat watched as she freed herself from his grip and instead stroked her fingertips softly over the back of his hand.

“Did I ever thank you?” she breathed, and Junkrat took a deep breath, trying to concentrate.

“For what?” he asked, and she smiled slightly.

“For saving my life. By rights, you should have left me on the beach. I was only a seal. But you came to help me instead.”

Guilt spurred his tongue to life. “I didn’t,” he said shortly, avoiding her gaze. “I was gonna shoot you. Put you outta your misery.”

A short silence followed, and unable to bear it, Junkrat looked at her. Satya wore a small crease between her brows, and just when he thought the silence was going to kill him, she replied.

“…Shoot me?” her voice was small and he sighed.

“It was the humane thing t’do, y’know? I thought y’were a seal, an’ y’weren’t gonna last long on your own. It was gonna be a kindness, until y’skin came off.”

“Oh.” The crease between her brows deepened and her gaze drifted down to somewhere around his shoulder. “Jamison,” she began at last, making him start from the sheer nerves vibrating through him. “I can’t pretend I enjoy the thought of that,” she whispered. “but you didn’t. You saved my life. I am grateful, no matter what else.”

God, the urge to draw her close and fortify his apology with touch was more than he could bear, and Junkrat clenched his fingers tightly, nails digging into his skin in his effort to stop himself from  _ touching _ her-

“Well, goodnight,” she breathed, and closed her eyes, leaving Junkrat to lie there, astonished and contemplative.

 

* * *

He was very comfortable, and very warm.

So comfortable, in fact, that he let himself wallow for a few luxurious moments, keeping his eyes closed against the harsh sun he could feel beaming in through the window. It wasn’t until he moved his head and inhaled a lock of hair that he realised that he wasn’t normally  _ this _ comfortable.

Junkrat’s eyes popped open and he locked his body in alarm, before his synapses resumed firing and he realised that he was in his bed and Satya was too and he was  _ holding _ her; during the night they had evidently migrated towards each other and now, his arm rested across her waist and her nose fitted neatly into the hollow of his throat. Her legs were intertwined with his and it felt so  _ comfortable _ that it was almost easy to close his eyes and forget that he didn’t deserve this sort of warmth. Still, he lay there, justifying it to himself by saying he didn’t want to disturb her. Satya slept peacefully, long dark lashes grazing her cheek, and he watched the sunlight move as it climbed higher in the sky, spilling a riot of colour and light as a rainbow beamed in through the glass and lit Satya’s jet hair with a multitude of fascinating glimmers.

Junkrat was in the middle of deciding whether Satya’s hair gleamed red or gold in the light when she stirred; he panicked for a moment and then jammed his eyes shut and pretended to sleep, keeping his limbs loose as she pulled away and sat up. It took all he had to remain still when her fingers unexpectedly skimmed through his hair, and then she was off the mattress and gone from all his senses. He lay there for a moment longer, surprise and longing rioting through him, and then he couldn’t bear it any longer and tried to surreptitiously roll over so he could gaze through lowered lashes and see what she was doing.

In doing this, however, Junkrat failed to account for his nearness to the side of the bed, and in doing so fell clean over the edge with a startled squawk, taking the tangle of sheets with him. He hit the ground and swore, then opened one eye to find Satya staring at him from over by the stove, and then the corner of her mouth lifted and she approached.

“Are you okay?” she asked, and Junkrat gave a disgusted groan and tried to disentangle himself.

“Good mornin’ t’you, too,” he said rather snippily, then gave her a grin. “M’fine. What a bloody wake-up call, though.”

“My fault.” Satya looked concerned, but was also clearly on the verge of laughter. “I insisted you join me.”

“Nah, bed’s too small t’share, really…” Junkrat trailed off, having run out of words to say, then nodded awkwardly at her. “Y’got the kettle on?”

“I was just about to fill it.” Satya turned back to the stove as Junkrat picked himself up off the ground and set about putting his prosthetics back on. She swung around then, excitement written on her features. “You are still taking me with you today, yes?”

“‘Course.” Junkrat grinned at her. “Wouldn’t do withoutcha.”

Satya beamed and turned her attentions back to the kettle, leaving Junkrat to contemplate the hollow feeling that grew in his stomach at the thought that maybe, he’d been more honest than she realised.

He got himself ready for the day, hunting down his wide-brimmed hats and dropping one on Satya’s head, which made her laugh.

“Hey, the sun ‘round here’s no joke, y’know. Don’t want a melanoma on top of a bloody shark attack. That’s gettin’ a bit beyond my medical abilities,” he joked, and Satya raised a brow as she examined the hat.

“A melanoma?” she asked curiously, and Junkrat slung the duffel containing their lunch, water and sunscreen over his shoulder.

“Skin cancer,” he elaborated. “Don’t want that.”

Satya blinked. “I suppose not.”

They headed outside to his bike and after promising to teach her to drive it later, he helped her find a seat in the trailer atop his nets and then they were off.

Satya was beyond delighted with the ride, and her enthusiasm was infectious; Junkrat found himself laughing with her as they coasted down a sand dune or skidded in a soft patch. When they reached the shore, Junkrat parked his bike in the shade of a nearby tree and began to unload.

“So what’s y’plan?” he inquired. “Gonna swim? Stay on shore? Come in the boat?”

Satya bit her lip, looking deep in thought. 

“I’ve never been in a boat,” she decided finally. “I think that will be fun.”

“Great, here, y’can carry this.” 

Junkrat took the nets and other fishing supplies while Satya carried their lunch, and she sat up front, gazing eagerly at the sea while he got ready to cast off.

Riding the waves was the most exhilarating part of his day but this time, with Satya seated beside him, eyes wide with delight at the sight of the ocean from a perspective she’d never seen before, it was better. When they’d reached his usual fishing ground, Junkrat cut the engine and weighed anchor, and when they were floating he explained his routine to Satya as she perched on the side of the boat, eyeing the nets with distaste, but she was soon enraptured once more by the controls for the boat.

Junkrat’s boat was no commercial trawler, but it wasn’t a simple tinny, either. It had space for his nets and his equipment, and had a little cab of sorts with two seats inside - Satya came and sat in the passenger seat, watching curiously as he used the sonar to see if the fish were plentiful in their area.

“What is that?” she asked, plainly noting that the engine wasn’t running, and therefore what he was doing wasn’t anything to do with the boat itself.

“Sonar,” he explained. “See those dots there? Those are fish underneath us.”

Satya’s eyes grew wide. “What? But how does that work? How can this television show you where the fish are?”

Junkrat grinned and stifled a chuckle as he wondered how to explain sonar to a seal-woman with a very limited grasp on technology. She only knew what a television was because he had a very shitty one in his hut. “It’s not a telly. It’s sonar. See, it fires… mmm, pulses, I guess, into the water. If the pulses hit a fish, they show up on the screen here. Lets me see if it’s worth puttin’ the nets down or nah.”

Satya leaned in close, looking utterly fascinated. “That is incredible!” She enthused. “I enjoy seeing what humans have made, it is so different to what we have in the ocean. It seems complicated, isn’t it? You have so much to keep track of.”

Junkrat grinned. “Well, there is, that. Sometimes it’d be nice t’just get away from it all, but y’know, we’re lazy buggers. We could give all this up but none of us lazy bastards’d know how t’survive.”

Satya laughed, golden eyes squinching shut as she brought seashell fingers up to cover her mouth. “Is that so? It seems you need a lesson from us seals.”

“Reckon.” Junkrat agreed. “So what’s it like down below? Reckon it’d stress me out somethin’ awful. Too many bitey things.”

“Well there are plenty of those,” Satya agreed, “but it isn’t as bad as that. Of course it is foolish to spend time in the open ocean without being careful, but we all have our own territories, where we are safe. I’ve told you about my cave?”

“Yeah, how’s that work?” Junkrat asked, one eye on the sonar, which indicated a distinct lack of fish, which annoyed him. “Thought seals breathed air? Y’don’t sleep underwater, do ya?”

“Oh, we do, but we can still sleep in the water, we just need to keep our noses in the air. Either that, or we sleep on land.”

“Oh yeah? How do know y’gonna be safe if y’sleepin’ in the water for hours? Can’t somethin’ sneak up on ya?”

Satya smiled. “Seals don’t sleep like humans do. I sleep through the night in my human form, but when I’m not, I sleep for small periods and wake frequently.”

“Oh.” Junkrat nodded at this wisdom and fired up the engine, which prompted a surprise look from Satya.

“Are we leaving?” she asked, and he nodded.

“Yeah. Sonar says the fish aren’t good here, so we’re gonna go find another spot with a better catch.”

“Ah.” Satya leaned forward to inspect the sonar closely. “So you can find the fish without seeing them, and without them seeing you? That seems unjust. They cannot even try to escape.”

Junkrat stifled the fact that he didn’t  _ want _ them to get away, and shrugged instead. “Well, they can, sorta. Depends on if they see the net.”

“True.” Satya peered out of the window as they skimmed over the waves. “The sea looks lovely from up here,” she sighed, a pleased lilt to her tone. “I would much rather be in the water, but this isn’t so bad.”

“Maybe you’ll wanna go for a swim when we’re done for the day?” Junkrat invited. “There’s the rockpools to the east. Nice little spot for swimmin’, free of bitey things.”

The corner of Satya’s lips rose. “I would love that.” The pleasure in her tone sent a thrill through him and Junkrat turned back to the controls of the boat, a grin turning his lips.

They found a good spot with a decent shoal showing up on the sonar, and Junkrat hurried out of the cabin to set up the nets. Satya wouldn’t touch the nets, so as he heaved them over the side of the boat, she perched herself on the prow and leaned over the edge so she could trail her fingers in the water.

“You miss it?” he asked, seeing the longing in her features.

“More than I can say,” Satya replied glumly, “but it won’t be for long. I can leave when I can swim again.”

The look she gave him then was half fearful, as though she expected him to tell her she wasn’t going anywhere, and, when he considered the apparent implications of a human handling her sealskin, he didn’t exactly blame her.

“‘Course y’will,” he answered gruffly, turning his gaze back to the nets. Satya’s smile was warm and genuine, and as he sat down, having put the nets overboard, she came to sit beside him. 

“Now what?” she asked curiously.

“Now we wait,” he explained. “When the nets are full I’ll pull ‘em back up an’ once we’ve got enough, I’ll head back t’shore, an’ y’can go for a swim.” 

Her smile was glorious.

Junkrat fished with cast nets, for which he’d rigged up a contraption that not only launched the nets into the water, but allowed him to winch them back up, fish and all. He was halfway through winching his second catch back in when the line shuddered abruptly, and went taut. Junkrat swore under his breath, knowing exactly what that meant. He looked cautiously over his shoulder to find Satya looking at him, brow furrowed, and those golden eyes narrowed in suspicion.

“What is it?” she asked, and he started winching the net in with a little more speed.

“There’s somethin’ caught in the net,” he mumbled, and she gasped and rushed over.

“What? Who? Who is it?”

Junkrat, a little nonplussed as having a sea creature referred to as a ‘who’, refrained from answering as he winched harder and, with a grunt of effort, the net cleared the water to reveal a multitude of fish - and a large sea turtle, hopelessly entangled and writhing madly.

Satya gasped and Junkrat swore under his breath - it wasn’t going to be easy cutting it loose.

“Let them out! We’ve got to get them out!” Satya cried, fingers clenched anxiously on the rail.

Junkrat moved the net over the boat and lowered it down, where Satya immediately fell to her knees, tugging and pulling at the netting entangling the shiny, broad shell of the large turtle. Satya got the seal untangled and for a long moment it lay wetly gleaming on the deck of his little boat, surrounded by fish and netting, and then it raised its head, flippers milling fruitlessly in open space.

_ “Help _ me,” Satya growled, attempting to bodily hoist the turtle. 

Junkrat darted forward in alarm, not wanting her to hurt herself - he could see the way she faltered when the weight of the turtle pulled at her wounds.

“Jesus fuck, get outta the way-” Junkrat shouldered her backwards and bent his knees, and hoisted the heavy turtle up and over the edge of the boat with an explosive breath. Grabbing the rail, he leaned over the edge to see where the turtle swam.

“Don’t swim into the fuckin’ net again, you fucker!” he yelled, seeing the turtle head that way, but by some miracle it avoided the net and disappeared into deeper waters.

Beside him, Satya was practically hanging off the boat in her effort to see the turtle go. “We did it!”

“We did,” he agreed, putting a hand on her coral arm to prevent her falling in. 

She swung around with an accusatory look and glared at him. “That was your fault! You and your nets! How many others have you killed this way?”

Junkrat wilted under her gaze. “Um…”

She pursed her lips and frowned. “I see.” Satya carefully looked away and went to the other side of the boat, where she fiddled with some hooks and avoided his gaze. Unsure of what to say or do, Junkrat retreated into the little cabin and fucked about with the sonar for a while, wondering what to say. 

He was saved from this when he saw Satya lean over the edge of the boat and try in vain to trail her fingers in the water. 

“Ready t’go for a swim?” he called, and she turned to face him. 

“Really? Now?” 

“Sure, why not? Usually leave m’nets an’ come back later, it-”

He was reminded why this was a terrible subject to get back into roughly a half-second after he opened his mouth and her eyes flashed.

“Leave the nets? And let the other helpless creatures who might become trapped drown?”

Junkrat laughed nervously. “Uh, roight, of course. Um, we’ll stay put then.” 

Satya looked mollified, and then reached out and touched the controls of the boat. “How does this work?”

“Well, I’d show y’how t’drive it if y’like,” he offered, mostly joking, but she lit up like a christmas tree as she always did when given the opportunity to try human activities.   

“Really?” Satya touched the key lightly and looked enthusiastic. “Show me.”

“Can’t at the moment unless y’wanna leave the nets,” he reminded her, and her face fell. “But I’ll teach y’how t’navigate properly when it’s time for home,” he offered, and she smiled. 

“Thank you. Human creations are so interesting - we don’t have anything like this.”

“You’ve got some things,” he noted with a nod at her seashell arm, and Satya looked down and ran her flesh fingers over a palm carved from coral.

“Magic and trickery - it’s different. You don’t have anything like that. Humans simply said to themselves they they wanted to do something they couldn’t, and they found a way. Your species is most innovative.”

“I guess so.” Junkrat grinned at her. “If y’like, I’ll show y’some of the things I’ve been workin’ on when we get back.”

Satya looked instantly intrigued. “You build things also?”

“I do,” he confirmed. “Always tinkerin’ away at somethin’. Or at least I try t’be. Little busy what with the fish an’ you, lately.”

She pursed her lips. “I’m sorry if I’ve been an inconvenience in your life.”

“Nah, don’t say that. Y’didn’t choose t’get eaten by a shark.”

“True.” Satya tilted her head. “You’ve been very kind to me, Jamison. Thank you.”

Unsure of where to go next, Junkrat offered her a grin. “Uh… no worries. Um… want some lunch?”

Satya did, so they made themselves comfortable on the deck - Junkrat put up the shade sail to shield them from the ferocious midday sun and then sat crossed-legged across from her, their food in between them. He’d packed corned beef sandwiches and fish fritters, though Satya picked the corned meat out of her bread and gave it to him to eat instead.

“So, uh, when d’ya think y’gonna be ready t’go back to the ocean?” he asked, not particularly wanting to hear the answer, but he had to be realistic. She would leave eventually, but he was going to miss her presence.

Satya made a thoughtful face. “Soon, I think. I just want to be sure I’m not going to reopen my wounds when I shift.”

“Makes sense.” He didn’t like talking about her leaving, much; he was going to lose her company and while he’d gotten used to living in isolation through his years as an outcast, he knew the weeks after she finally left were going to be hellishly lonely. Junkrat changed the topic and they continued to eat, checking the nets periodically until it was time to bring them in. Satya watched owlishly from her perch on the side of the boat as Junkrat winched in the nets, and he hurriedly looked through the glistening fish on the deck in case there was another creature in there for her to get mad about. There were only fish, for which he was thankful, and so he began the task of heaving the slippery bodies into his eskies, where they would remain chilled for transport. 

As he worked, Satya got down from her perch and came to help him; she still moved slowly, due to her injuries, but she helped.

“So where d’ya draw the line?” he asked curiously.

“Line?”

“Yeah. How come it’s bad for me t’catch a turtle, but not a fish?”

Satya pursed her lips. “Well… I don’t like to see any ocean creatures suffer. It’s just that I eat fish, whereas turtles are my friends.”  

“Fair.” Junkrat elected not to ask her to elaborate,  but instead finished with the fish and headed back towards the driver’s seat. He supposed it was like the difference between a horse and a cow. One was commonly eaten, and the other was not. “Hey, y’wanted t’learn, yeah?”

Satya’s face lit up and she hurried over, where he installed her in the seat and began by pointing out and naming all of the crucial controls. When she’d started the motor, much to her endless delight, he showed her how to steer and then stepped back, one hand on the back of her seat as he pointed her in the right direction, and let her handle the boat as it skimmed over the waves. 

He let her remain in control until they began to draw nearer to the coast, but then took over himself as he navigated in towards the shore, not wanting the inexperience Satya to drive them into the rocks. 

“You still wanna go for a swim?” he asked, and her face lit up.

“Yes, of course,” she breathed, and Junkrat nodded, taking care of the necessities. When he’d thrown the anchor overboard and the boat was safe to leave, he dropped into the waist high water and then helped Satya, half lifting her down so she wouldn’t pull at her wounds. The sheer joy on her face as she slipped into the water made him smile, and Junkrat took her hand without thinking about.

“Uh, this way,” he said somewhat awkwardly, but Satya laced her fingers with his, rather than let go. It made his stomach flutter. “There’s a real nice pool over here, nice and calm.”

He’d judged that calm water would be best for her considering her wounds, and led her towards the rockpools where a bank of rock shielded them from the harsher waves, and had allowed a deep hollow filled with calm water and shellfish. Satya was clearly delighted with the sight, for she climbed in immediately and disappeared underwater, remaining under for so long that she would have drowned were she human. She came up eventually, however, with several large pipis clutched in her hands.

“Look what I found on the rocks!” she said proudly. “I love these.” Satya settled them on a rock and used her nails to pry open the two halves of the shell, before she scooped out the meat within and popped it into her mouth. “Mm.” She opened her eyes and held one out to him. “Would you like one?”

“Ah, not raw, I don’t reckon.” Junkrat took the pipi anyway and examined it. “If y’want though, we can find some more an’ take ‘em home an’ I’ll show ya how t’roast ‘em for a human dinner.”

Satya liked this idea immensely, so for about an hour and a half they were either both in the water, or exploring the rockpools looking for all the edible little creatures they could find. Eventually, they had a bucketful of pipis, horn snails, oysters and nerites, and they got lucky and found a good sized crayfish too, which Satya wrestled out from the rocks while Junkrat cheered her on from the surface. Satya left the water very regretfully, and it wasn’t until he promised he would bring her back tomorrow that she perked up, though she admitted that she knew she needed rest; her gait was a little awkward and stiff, and she walked with her hand on her hip.

They arrived back at his hut and Junkrat put Satya in charge of the bucket of shellfish and then while she rested in the shade, he bustled about hauling his catch into storage and generally preventing his fish from going off before they could be collected for delivery to Junkertown. With the fish packed away, he fed the chickens and then, with the sun a lazy sliver of light above the dunes, he lit the fire in the stone circle to the side of his hut. Normally, he burnt rubbish there, but he occasionally cooked a meal beneath the stars, so he had all the necessary equipment. Well, he said equipment but all it really was was part of an old metal bed frame that he’d covered with chicken wire, which he settled over the fire to make a rudimentary grill. 

“Righto, where’s those pipis?” he asked, and drew Satya closer to the fire, where he brought out a plank of wood laid over two stumps to make a table on which he chopped onion and potato while Satya rinsed the shellfish in a dish of water. The pipis he steamed open before they were added to a billy which he wedged into the hot coals and proceeded to make into sort of chowder with the vegetables, flour, milk and butter. The horn snails oysters and nerites he left in their shells and settled on the chicken wire grill to slowly roast, and then, laughing and chatting with Satya as she watched the cooking process with genuine joy, he turned his attention to the crayfish. It was a big sucker and he got out the alfoil before he showed Satya how humans cut and prepared the crustaceans, and she told him that if she were in the water she’d use her nails to peel back the hard shell and eat it with both hands.

“What, alive?” he asked, somewhat startled, and she nodded.

“Yes, if you aim your first bite behind the head they are decapitated and then they can’t use their claws.”

She sounded a little put out at the mention of claws and Junkrat chuckled as he split the crayfish in two and liberally smeared the meat with butter and garlic after he’d cleaned out the nasty bits. “Y’sound like there’s a story there.”

Her mouth thinned but she looked amused. “Well, if you are small and inexperienced and you find a lobster and are too enthusiastic, you may find yourself on the wrong end of those claws.” Satya showed him a scar on the knuckles of her good hand then, a faded line against her dark skin. “You see?”

“Sounds like a fun time,” he grinned, and Satya wrinkled her nose at him as he wrapped the crayfish in alfoil and settled it on the grill.

The shellfish cooked fast and they ate them as their appetisers, using bits of wire to extract the cooked meat from the shells. Satya said she found the texture of the meat strange when cooked, but she liked the flavour, and was excited to try the crayfish when it was ready.

The crayfish was not quite done so he dished up the chowder first, dumping the saucy little pipis into two bowls and providing spoons, and watched as Satya tried a bit and sighed with pleasure.

“I wish there was fire under the sea,” she said wistfully. “I never imagined food could taste like this.”

“Your options are kinda limited,” he agreed. “Tell ya what - once you’ve healed up all good, y’can come back whenever for dinner.”

Satya’s smile was slow and impossibly pleased, and she shifted a little closer to him, where they sat together under the stars with their food, their only light the hot coals before them. The wind off the dunes was cool and carried the salty tang of the ocean, and Junkrat was almost surprised at how genuinely, deeply happy he was, sitting here with her.

When the crayfish was finished roasting, Junkrat took his half while Satya took the other and they sat in companionable silence, occasion sharing one comment or another, but mostly enjoyed the food, the fire, the starry night sky. Satya got up at one stage, disappearing into his hut for water, which she brought out to share. When she sat down again, she was close enough that their thighs brushed, and Junkrat accepted the water gratefully simply for something to take his mind off how aware of her she was, and then she dealt the killing blow; Satya looked up at the stars, and with a small sigh of appreciation she leaned against him, her head pillowed on his shoulder. Junkrat panicked a little, one part of him knowing that she lacked human societal rules (owing to the whole being a selkie thing), but the rest of him could only think of how  _ close _ she was.

“Ah… comfortable?” he asked, to break what he thought was an awkward silence.

“Yes,” Satya replied almost dreamily, before pointing up at the sky. “Do you see that star? If I were in the sea, I’d follow it to take me home.”

“Tell me about it,” he murmured huskily. “What it’s like under the sea, I mean.”

Satya talked for a long time, describing the ocean when the sunlight filtered through the water, of playing with the young amongst the kelp, of following great shoals of fish that darted through the water like drops of light, of hiding in coral outcroppings beneath the shadow of a monstrous shark. Junkrat was not particularly afraid of sharks. They didn’t like to eat humans, he knew, and most people who were attacked were only so because of a case of mistaken identity, wherein the shark took them for a seal or turtle. He gained a new appreciation for the terrible beauty of the creatures then, listening to Satya’s genuine fearful respect as she told him of hiding and knowing that the shark had scented her, and of the uncomfortable feeling of swimming in open water with the abyss all around her, knowing that just out of her line of sight, something could be watching. She told him that aside from the attack which led to their meeting on the beach, she had had one other serious encounter with a shark - the time she had lost her arm. 

“It bit me,” she said somewhat forlornly, her expression vacant as she became lost in the memory. “I was in my seal shape, of course, and I was in the open water. It came from behind me but I was able to move enough that it took my fin off in one bite and left me free. I thought I was going to die that day - if not from that shark, then from another who smelt the blood. I remember looking behind me and seeing nothing but red behind me, and the shark, following me.”

Junkrat shivered. “But y’got away?”

“I did,” Satya half-smiled. “I am very fast. It saved my life that day. I reached the coral reefs where I live and the others enacted the defences.” At his surprised sound, she smiled. “We are  _ selkies _ , not seals. We have our human forms and we use them in the ocean too, you know.”

“Y’do? How’s that work? Surely it’d be easier t’get around as a seal.”

“Oh yes, it is, but seals don’t have opposable thumbs.” Satya adjusted the position of her head on his shoulder and sighed. “I was lucky. Grandmother was there, and she has a deep understanding of the healing magic, but nothing could bring back my fin.”

Junkrat made a noise of sympathy in his throat. “So, the coral arm?” he asked. “Did your nan do that too?”

“She isn’t my grandmother,” she informed him. “Not by blood. Grandmother is a title. She is an elder, I suppose you would call her so. And no, I went to a sea witch for my arm.”

“Oh.” Junkrat strove for casualness, as though he was already perfectly aware of the existence of sea witches. “That’s fair.”

“Mm,” Satya sighed, closing her eyes. “It is nice, being on land, with you. There are no sharks here.”

“That’s true,” he mumbled, his heart jumping for joy at her words. Junkrat didn’t know who made the first move; only that, at some point they both lay down, watching the stars above with Satya nestled in the crook of his arm, and he didn’t recall ever being this happy.

 

* * *

All too soon, it was time for Satya to leave. 

Junkrat helped her into the boat with a heavy heart and a mask on his face - he was trying desperately to keep her from seeing how badly he was going to miss her, but he had the feeling that she knew.

“You sure you’re gonna be alright?” he asked for what was probably the thousandth time.

“I will,” Satya said decidedly, placing a testing hand on her hip. “I have no pain now, and I can swim easily.”

“That’s true,” he agreed; she’d been testing herself every day, coming out on the ocean with him and experimenting with her endurance until she was sure she could swim without any issues, but fuck, he was worried. “But are y’sure? ‘Cause I don’t wanna hafta take a broom down t’the bottom of the ocean t’fight off a shark.”

Satya laughed. “Would you really try it?”

“Yeah, I would,” he mumbled.  _ For you, _ he added silently.

“Thank you, but your bravery won’t be needed,” Satya said, leaning over the edge of the boat and gazing at the water with a practiced eye. “I will be fine. There’s a current that will take me most of the way and I intend to take full advantage of it.”

“That’s good,” he said, steering them past an outcropping of rocks. The plan was to go out into the deep water, where Satya would get into the water, and - disappear forever.

“Will y’ever come back?” the words popped out without his express permission, and he refused to meet her gaze.

“I don’t know,” Satya said finally, softly. “Maybe. I… would like to.”

They had reached the spot and Junkrat cut the engine, moving across to throw the anchor overboard, and turned to face her. He instinctively reached out and took her hand, and Satya’s expression was soft as she looked at him, her fingers linking with his.

“You take care of y’self,” he muttered, trying to get past the lump squeezed into his throat. “I meant it, y’know. Don’t make me come down there.”

Satya’s expression was almost regretful, and she slowly lifted her coral hand and touched his face, the sharp points of her shell-like nails gliding gently over his skin.

“Thank you, Jamison,” she said softly, her expression tender. “I’m so grateful for everything you’ve done for me.”

“‘Course,” he managed, the lump in his throat threatening to suppress his voice. “Was happy t’help.” Junkrat drifted closer, entirely unable to help himself, until they were barely a scant inch apart. Satya gazed up at him, her expression inscrutable and her lips parted, making him feel as though he were drowning in her soulful golden eyes.  _ Kiss her, idiot, _ he told himself, but the moment passed and Satya stepped back out of his grasp and he clenched his hands at his sides; he’d never felt a loss so keenly, and she hadn’t even gone yet.

“Well, goodbye,” Satya said softly, fingers absently stroking the pelt of her seal skin. “Thank you for everything.”

Junkrat just nodded, teeth sunk into his lower lip to keep himself from begging her to stay.

She stepped out of her clothes then - his clothes, really, but he thought of them as hers - and Junkrat looked away to give her privacy. 

A splash sounded and he spun back to find her clothes hung over the rail and bubbles showing where she had disappeared underwater, and his heart constricted in the seconds it took for her to resurface.

She wore a smile but there was regret in her eyes as she gazed at him. “Goodbye, Jamison.”

“Bye, Satya,” he choked out, and she smiled at him one last time and twirled the wet seal skin out and around her shoulders, and dipped beneath the water, and Junkrat knew she was leaving. Some distance away, a shape broke the water and he recognised the face of a brown seal with luminous golden eyes, and he raised a hand in silent farewell. They gazed at each other for several long moments and then the seal sank beneath the waves, and she was gone.

Junkrat stayed there for hours, leaning on the rail with his gaze fixated on the spot where he’d last seen her. He felt empty - his heart was heavy and he hadn’t realised how used he had gotten to her company; the realisation that he was going to go back to how he’d lived before, where he went weeks and months without speaking to another person, felt like the weight of it was crushing him alive. 

 

* * *

Junkrat opened his eyes with a soft groan of annoyance that he was awake, for a beam of sunlight had fallen through his open window and landed across his face, making him feel as though he’d been blinded. He rolled to the side and scratched at his unshaven sheek irritably, and lay in bed for perhaps another twenty minutes, before he finally dragged himself upright and went to put the kettle on.

With a cup of tea and some toast down the hatch Junkrat headed out the door, scooping up a few crab traps as he went, and started up his bike for the trek to the beach where he looked forward (hah) to another long day of fishing.

It had been nearly a year since Satya had left, but as the first glimpse of the ocean showed over the dunes, the thought of her entered his mind, just like it always did. He thought of her often but the sadness had been replaced by a sort of wistfulness, of remembering her and missing her deeply, but knowing that she wasn’t coming back. The worst of it was the memories; at every turn he saw saw something that she had used or something she had delighted over, and it made his heart ache. 

He went about the motions as per usual, and when he sat down in the captain's chair with his lunch, having already put his nets overboard, he wasn’t thinking about much more than the quota of fish he’d yet to fill. He’d got into the habit of remaining out on the water to watch his nets, for while previously he’d sometimes left them alone while he did other things, the way Satya had scolded him for turtle related crimes had unconsciously settled into the forefront of his mind and he now worked as hard as he could to make sure he only caught fish in his nets.

He’d been out there for a few hours and was in the middle of winching in the nets for his latest catch when something caught his eye, breaking the surface of the relatively calm sea. The fish poured onto the prep buckets and Junkrat worked fast, shifting things around and sorting through the fish to pick out plastic and throw an eel back into the water, and as he did so, he focused properly on the something he’d seen floating out on the water. Junkrat glanced casually at it, then did a double take and stared, his heart constricting painfully - that was a  _ seal. _

All he could see was the head, but the seal had brown fur and was definitely watching him. 

As though it knew he’d seen it, the seal disappeared beneath the water and Jamison dropped the bucket he’d been holding and lunged towards the rail, gripping it desperately and leaning too far out to try and see the seal again. Abruptly, the water parted right beneath his nose and the seal raised its face to his, luminous golden eyes bright against the brown fur. Junkrat felt as though he were choking on the lump in his throat but he stared down and finally managed to get his words out.

“Satya?” he asked, her name trembling from the hope in his voice.

The seal dipped back beneath the waves and then, before he had the chance to feel regret, Satya looked up at him from the water, her fur wrapped around her human shoulders and a soft smile on her face.

“Jamison,” she said softly, and his heart swelled to hear his name on her lips once more. She reached up and he reached down, and as her hands slipped around his neck and she rose up from the water, Satya pressed her lips to his.

Every fibre of his being instantly short-circuited, and for a brief, shocked second he was frozen solid, and then he got his shit together and kissed her back, his hands at her waist to keep her from sliding back into the water. God, she felt incredible, phemonimal. Her naked breasts were pressed against his chest and he nearly groaned aloud from the pressure. Satya pulled back first, her fingers smoothing along his jaw as she regarded him with a pleased smile.

“Help me up,” she said, trying to find a foothold on the side of the boat, so Junkrat took a firmer grip on her and lifted her up and over, and then she was in his arms, her skin cool and damp and her fur leaving his shirt wet. Unable to help himself, Junkrat leaned in and kissed her again, fierce and quick, and then pulled back to see her eyes.

“The hell are y’doin’ here?” he asked breathlessly. “Not that I ain’t pleased, but I thought you’d gone.”

“I had things to do,” she explained, her smile bright enough to make him hurt. “They took longer than I’d anticipated, but I was always going to come back.”

His heart constricted. “Y’were?”

Satya touched his jaw. “I missed you. Did you miss me?”

Overcome by emotion, Junkrat pulled her closer and hid in her wet hair. “Every damn day,” he muttered, and her fingers clutched tight at his shoulders.

They stood together for a few long moments, until the pressing issue of her nudity made its way back to the forefront of his mind and Junkrat stepped back to pull his own shirt over his head, lest his traitorous body get the wrong idea. 

“Here y’go,” he said somewhat gruffly, and Satya thanked him earnestly, letting the seal skin slip from her shoulders. His mind damn near went blank at the sight but he managed to get himself together enough to turn away while she put the shirt on and then when she’d tapped him on the shoulder, he was getting over his shock at her sudden reappearance enough to feel nothing but the purest delight.

“Can’t believe you’re back again,” he said, reaching up to touch her face. Satya smiled at him, her golden eyes catching the light, and he wanted nothing more than to be with her, so he caught hold of her hands, needing to touch her. “I - didn’t expect it, t’be honest. I’d kinda stopped hopin’.”

Her lips turned down and she moved closer. “I told you, I had a lot to do,” she breathed, tilting her face towards his. “How are my chickens?”

The question made him grin and he leaned down, his nose brushing hers. “They’re good,” he murmured. “Wonderin’ when you’re gonna come home an’ let them in bed again.”

Satya laughed and turned to frown at the nets. “How much more do you have to do?” she asked, and Junkrat immediately dismissed the importance of his daily quota; it didn’t matter, he could make up for it later.

“Nuthin’, I’m all done. You uh, y’wanna come home with me?”

Satya nodded, her lips curving in a half smile. “Didn’t you say I could come back for dinner whenever I wanted?” she asked archly, and he laughed.

“I sure did. C’mon, then.” 

Junkrat turned the boat for home not long after he finished dealing with the fish nets, and all the while the sight of Satya sitting in the passenger seat while wearing his shirt made his heart flutter.

Having moored his boat, Junkrat set about carrying his fish to his bike while Satya helped, and then she sat in front of him while he drove home, which, with her lovely round arse nestled between his thighs, was a special kind of torture.

They arrived back at his hut and Satya made a beeline for the chickens, and when Junkrat was done putting the fish away he came out to find Satya lying on the ground with chickens surrounding her, three on her belly and several crowding around her hands for pats.

“All done,” he called. “Y’want a cuppa?”

Satya carefully shifted the chickens and sat up, looking enthusiastic. “I haven’t had any for a long time,” she said. “I would love some.”

Junkrat met her at the door and then, unable to help himself, bent down and swept her into his arms, bridal style. Satya made a shocked sound and clutched at him, before grabbing at her sealskin before it slid to the ground.

“Jamie? What are you doing?”

“Ah, nothin’, really,” he said as he stepped over the threshold. “Call it a human tradition.”

“Oh.” Satya’s hands wound round his neck. “I see.”

“Yeah,” he said a little huskily, carrying her towards the bed, where he intended to set her down, her thighs distractingly bare and warm beneath his touch. “Maybe you’d wanna learn about ‘em with me.”

Satya’s lips curved in a soft smile. “I’d like that.”

He felt nothing but pure contentment welling inside his very soul, and when he placed her gently on the bed and she drew him down into a kiss, he knew that there was nothing better than this.

**Author's Note:**

> here, please enjoy this extremely indulgent mashup of monster girls and soulmate au's presented without commentary


End file.
